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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536811">The Life and Times of a Paperclip</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Until Dawn (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Child Neglect, F/F, Gen, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Other, Recreational Drug Use, Running Away, Travel, and street names n stuff, lots of talk about buildings, yo play teenage dream by katy perry</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 13:26:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>991</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22536811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh develops an online, long distance relationship with someone who's across the country. After his parents prove to not be accepting of his sexuality, he decides that he's not giving up on this relationship. And that he'll do anything to keep it alive.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chris Hartley/Josh Washington, Sam Giddings/Beth Washington, mentioned</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Life and Times of a Paperclip</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title from the 2013 album "the life and times of a paperclip" by the garden,<br/>chapter titles from the 2015 album "haha" by the garden.</p><p>also, giving thanks to my friend, sasuke for bein my beta &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He rested his chin on his knees, the light of his computer screen making blobs of light on his cheeks, nose and highlighting his eyes. They were slowly becoming blurry and bleary, tears bubbling in his eyes. Josh regretted coming out. Hannah and Beth showed him loving support after the act. However, his parents seemed to disagree. They didn’t take it so well. Now Josh is suffering in the aftermath. He was sent to his room, relentlessly berated under their breath. </p><p>He wanted so badly to leave home. But he’s so scared and paranoid of his parents now. Josh was hoping for a positive outcome, a positive reaction. He wanted to meet Chris, but there’s no way now, because of this experience. Of course he could always lie and say that this was just a friend he met online. Though he doubts that will work. Josh’s parents’ can’t even look him in the eye, as if he sinned greatly and they’re not even that religious.</p><p>
  <span>His computer hummed on his desk, beside it was his window. Drizzling rain dotted the windows. It was April, that meant Connecticut was one of the many rainy states. Josh types a message to Chris, telling him what happened and how he wants to leave. Josh isn’t sure how Chris is still awake, despite it being 2 am for Josh and 7 am for Chris. He’d for sure thought Chris is the type of guy to sleep in on weekends. But he’s typing a response back, filled with ‘i love you’s and ‘ you deserve so much better’. Josh wanted to meet him. To melt in his arms and his kiss. All that has been exchanged so far are funny pictures of each other, and cursed images.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Josh got a good hint of what life Chris lived in Oregon. Specifically Salem. He went out with friends, he had great times and was fully accepted of being bisexual. Josh was happy for him, truly. He wanted to meet all of Chris’s friends, become apart of that crowd. He heard so many things about his friend Emily, or his ‘vegan friend’, Chris liked to call her. Her real name was Sam, and they all sounded like such a delight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Here in New Milford, Josh personally found nothing to do. Everybody was quiet. Maybe because of the dim atmosphere, the elderly clouds and the quietness of the towns. There were lots of things to do in New Milford, Josh just didn’t have anyone to do it with. He mostly closed off to everyone except his sisters. He was no stranger to depression, and medication, doctor appointments and hospital visits, or rooms that smelled like vintage wallpaper and coffee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His psychiatrist, Dr. Hill, was the only other person Josh somehow talked to. All of his other psychiatrists were hard to open up to, but not Dr. Hill for some reason. Josh can’t pinpoint why. He’s glad though, he’s tired of being scared of people. A part of him wanted him to be scared, to be paranoid. To question the life around you. Josh didn’t like feeling paranoid, it traps him in a confined space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s Sunday technically. Josh wondered if he should escape this. Run off to Salem and forget about this life, start a new one with Chris and all of his friends. Josh has talked to some of them before. It was only on the phone though, nothing extended further than that. It was going to be a long journey, certainly longer than any field trip. Josh pulled up Google Maps, and input the locations. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A drive would take no less than 43 hours, while walking would take up to 900 or more. It converted to 2,000 miles. Josh asked himself if he was really willing to go this far, he answered that in his mind. Yes, 1000% yes. If it meant leaving this life behind for a much happier one, then Josh didn’t want anything else. Along with that, he’d meet his boyfriend, who meant the world to him. They have been together for 4 years, and Josh doesn’t want to let year 5 happen and they still haven’t met by then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tomorrow, Josh planned to start packing and be ready for the long journey ahead. He was going to be cheesy and label it as a ‘quest for love’, but he’s already got the love. He just wanted to go see it in person, and feel it face-to-face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Josh moved from his computer chair, and walked to his closet. He found some old luggage smushed in the far back of his closet. Josh is sure it’s from some time when the Washingtons traveled abroad. It hasn’t been used in forever, and Josh knew it was from the time when they went to the West Coast. Josh was headed back to the West Coast tomorrow, and this time it wasn’t California he was going to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Clothes were the first order of business. Josh didn’t have much clothes; it was mainly flannels, long sleeves and tank tops (which he hardly wore). The clothes were folded neatly in the luggage. Josh packed maybe 6 beanies and a pair of gloves. Connecticut was cold right now, and pouring rain, so those were a must. Josh grabbed an umbrella from the closet, and that was something everyone in the house possessed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things were going smooth so far, and it was time to prepare the electronics. Josh was worried about this because of the weather. He packed those with cloth and double bagged it so none of it would get damaged. This was something he really had to think through. If he made a mistake, Josh isn’t sure if he could go back and fix it. Once he left home, there was no going back. Although that is for the best right now, he doesn’t want to leave anything of importance behind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Josh was going to make sure everything is with him. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>i picture josh's house as <a href="https://patch.com/img/cdn20/users/22956225/20190712/105642/styles/patch_image/public/processed_images/3d6c334b6e728a97dae20759a6148bdfl-w4o.jpg">this</a></p></blockquote></div></div>
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